Consumers have many set expectations of how food products will appear and taste upon baking. These consumers make choices based on factors such as the final texture, taste, color, and overall appearance of a cooked product. Baked dough products in particular are expected to exhibit distinct aesthetics, such as a crust color that is a desired shade and darkness, a desired shape, and a crust that does not contain excessive surface defects such as cracking, flaking, shredding, tearing, etc. An excessively dark, light, or off-color (e.g., grayish instead of brownish) crust may look unappealing, as may a misshapen dough product or a baked dough product having a crust that includes excessive cracking, tearing, shredding, flaking, etc.
Producers of commercial dough products continuously research dough formulations and preparation methods to find new, economical dough formulations and methods that result in dough products that can be baked to exhibit desired aesthetics. Just one example of a manner by which desired exterior (crust) properties can be modified, is to place an edible coating or film at a dough surface, which produces a desired result upon baking, such as a desired color or sheen.
Of course, other considerations are involved in the overall quality and desirability of a commercial dough product. A dough product must also have organoleptic (taste, smell, and texture) properties that will please the consumer. And product features such as storage stability and convenience of use are also favored. Many dough products today are designed to retain sufficient freshness to be baked following extended periods of refrigerated or frozen storage. Dough products that can in some instances be particularly desirable for dough manufactures and consumers alike include dough products that can be frozen and stored without first requiring a proofing step, and that can be baked from frozen without thawing or without proofing between the freezer and oven.